Bored of the mundane, looking for a challenge, fancy putting something back into the system by making good use of your life experience and making a real difference to someone else’s life? Why not become a job coach or skills coach at Little Gate supported employment?
They currently have two vacancies to fill and need people like you to help their trainees build confidence and support them to thrive in the world of work. Little Gate is growing, and they are passionate about enabling adults with learning disabilities and autism to fulfil their potential. To do this they find the right role for the individual and with the support of a job coach, enable them to grow and have the experiences that we all expect from a job.
A job coach will directly work with the individual who may not have had a paid job before but really wants to get into the world of work. They may be nervous; they may be excited but always enthusiastic about having a real job but they will need your support to enable them to succeed.
Your support will enable the individual to learn work systems and processes at their place of work and become a valued employee. Helping the trainee to develop their CV and understand their goals, support them with travel, training, understanding benefits and working with the whole family is just part of this role. Supporting the employer and helping them make the best decisions for the individual is also important.
Very few people who start at Little Gate have worked in supported employment before but having transferable skills and sharing their values is what is important. Experience in education, disability, partnership building, or employment support would be handy.
Ideally you need excellent written and interpersonal communication skills and be able to use IT systems including Office 365 independently, efficiently, and effectively. You need to be able to work from home occasionally, organising your time and work flexibly and you need to be a car driver with access to a car. You will be required to have an advanced DBS check and demonstrate resilience in dealing with emotional situations on a regular basis.
Sharing the Little Gate values is important.
Click the link below for a full job description, the ethos and values document and a film about a day in the life of a job coach. https://www.littlegate.org.uk/job/job-coach-2/.
So, if you think you could make a difference to someone please do make contact now. You will need to send your CV and a covering letter to hr@littlegate.org.uk, the closing date for applications is 24 September.
If this role is not for you but you love working with animals and people then read on as Little Gate Farm is also seeking a skills coach to join their animal care team. In this role, you will be supporting their trainees (autistic individuals and adults with a learning disability) to develop both practical animal care skills and employability skills. Helping them to reach their full potential and transforming lives by helping them make significant personal progress in preparation for paid employment.
You will need to deliver animal care activities that develop the trainee’s employment skills within a farm environment by engaging them in all hands-on animal care activities, for example daily welfare checks, foot care, feeding and cleaning animal houses, cleaning equipment, work in line with health and safety policy and procedures, complete the daily communications book, monitor and report changes in the animals’ condition, poo pick animal areas, and assist in the administering of medication.
Developing resources, celebrating success, monitoring progress and championing continuous improvement are all important areas of this role and supporting trainees to work on their individual goals during animal activities, identifying opportunities to learn and fostering an inclusive environment, where all of them feel respected, supported, and valued.
The salary is £11 per hour, working Monday to Wednesday 9am to 5pm. You will be subject to a satisfactory DBS check and will need independent transport to Little Gate Farm. Ideally you would have previous experience in animal care and training, experience supporting individuals with learning disabilities and autism, strong interpersonal and communication skills and an empathetic and patient approach to mentoring and coaching.
An understanding of the diverse needs and learning styles of trainees and creating an inclusive environment for them, enjoying working outdoors and a knowledge of animal welfare standards and best practices plus, an understanding and support of the charity ethos are paramount.
Interested in becoming a skills coach? Send your CV and a covering letter to hr@littlegate.org.uk.
Image Credits: Nick Forman .